AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings - Academy of International ...

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To disseminate these abstract concepts it applies a unique problem-solving approach called Kaizen. This
approach has brought Toyota success in disseminating the TPS (Toyota Production System), a philosophy and
set of values in Production. Toyota developed a new problem-solving method called the Toyota Business
Practice (TBP) as a mechanism to disseminate the Toyota Way in its white collar universe. Can this problemsolving
mechanism be effective in Sales & Marketing, an arena quite distinct from Production Do Toyota's 170
distributors understand and practice the TW/TWSM across borders The results from the interviews and ninecountry
survey conducted as components of the joint research project by Toyota and Hitotsubashi University
provided interesting insights into these questions. (For more information, please contact: Osamu Tsukada,
Kagawa University, Japan: otsukada0929@gmail.com)
'Non-Verbatim' Transfer of Routines Across Borders: The Interplay of Institutional Context and Routine
Complexity
Majid Eghbali-Zarch, University of Western Ontario
There is a dearth of research on the transfer of routines within multinational enterprises (MNEs). This study
addresses this gap and investigates how routines get transferred across border within MNEs. Building on the
literature on deinstitutionalization and diffusion of organizational practices, this study identifies technical,
cultural, and political elements that impact the transfer of routines across borders. It also highlights the role of
routine per se, and its characteristics and interactions with the contextual elements. Attributes of routines are
analysed to help future empirical measurements of routine and its complexity. Further, to clarify the levels of
analysis in this study, three types of routines in MNEs are introduces, namely micro-routines, meso-routies, and
macro-routines for each of the individual, subsidiary, and MNE levels respectively. (For more information, please
contact: Majid Eghbali-Zarch, University of Western Ontario, Canada: meghbali-zarch.phd@ivey.ca)
Deep Sea versus Inshore Fishing - The Impact of Market Information Internationalization on New Product
Development Performance
Anna Dubiel, WHU
Christoph Grimpe, Copenhagen Business School
Our study examines market information processing in three different stages of the new product development
(NPD) process (concept generation, development, and commercialization) and its impact on overall NPD
performance. In particular, it zooms into the geographic location of the market information by distinguishing
between domestic and international sources. It demonstrates that using domestic market information is
important over the whole NPD process while international market information is beneficial only in the idea
generation stage. Thus looking at faraway markets though a possible source of unique, ahead of the trend
information may not always enhance NPD. As this information is often costly and difficult to decipher firms
might be better off by fishing for market information in familiar nearby ponds. We test our hypotheses using a
panel sample of more than 1,500 German companies from both manufacturing and services. (For more
information, please contact: Anna Dubiel, WHU, Germany: anna.dubiel@whu.edu)
Session: 2.2.14 - Interactive
Track: 5 - MNC Management and Organization
The Diffusion of Practices in Multinational Enterprises
Presented On: July 2, 2012 - 10:45-12:00
Chair: Paul W. Beamish, University of Western Ontario
AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings
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